By MAYAN PAZ
Tiger Media Network
Standing with a 12-2 record overall and 1-1 mark in the MIAA, the FHSU volleyball team is traveling east over the weekend to face two Missouri-based opponents on the road. First, they will play against the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats (6-5, 0-2), before continuing the journey from Maryville to St. Joseph to play the Missouri Western Griffons (9-4, 1-1).
The Bearcats are a historically formidable team against the Tigers, as last year they won both matches. This season, they are off to a slower start, with two losses in conference play. However, NWSMUS has played strong opponents, nationally ranked Washburn and rising power Emporia State, which still leaves the Bearcats as a strong candidate for an MIAA tournament spot at the end of the season.
Following this matchup, the Tigers will face the Griffons, one of the most impressive teams in the MIAA this season so far. The Griffons are 3-0 against nationally ranked teams, including fellow MIAA team Washburn, adding themselves to the conference title contenders list.
The Tigers are coming after a tough 3-0 loss against Central Missouri, and are looking to make improvements in the upcoming games. Senior setter Abery Galt spoke about what the team worked on in training the past week.
“We’re trying to sharpen up on our blocking right now, and our deep serves to push them out of the system, and we’re also working on sharpening up our start receive and our connections with our hitters to make sure that it’s all in check,” she said.
FHSU Head Coach Jessica Wood-Atkins said the team is also working on being aggressive and intentional from the start of the game.
“We know that both teams are going to come out fiery and on on par, and so that’s what we’ve talked to the team about, is making sure that they come out with the best energy and that they can not wait to get that energy until the game starts, but coming out in in warm ups with their voices, with their actions, making sure that we’re being as aggressive and as loud as we can, because that’s what we can expect from the other side,” she said.
In the loss to Central Missouri, FHSU played a neck-and-neck game except for giving up short scoring streaks in every set, which eventually led to the loss of the game. Wood-Atkins said the team is working on being able to come back from a deficit in a set, but that the players have the final say on the outcome of that effort.
“As a coach, we can put them in the right defensive strategies. We can put the people out there that we think are going to handle that the most, but then it’s up to them,” she said. “They’ve got to react and put themselves in the right position. And so we’re just getting a lot of repetitions on it this week. And again, we reminded them of our standard in practice.”
The Tigers will play the two Missouri teams before continuing on the road, playing Nebraska-Kearney, Washburn, and Emporia State before returning to Hays.